Recent progress in third-generation low alloy steels developed under M^3 microstructure control

During the past thirty years, two generations of low alloy steels(ferrite/pearlite followed by bainite/martensite) have been developed and widely used in structural applications. The third-generation of low alloy steels is expected to achieve high strength and improved ductility and toughness, while satisfying the new demands for weight reduction, greenness, and safety. This paper reviews recent progress in the development of third-generation low alloy steels with an M^3 microstructure, namely, microstructures with multi-phase, meta-stable austenite, and multi-scale precipitates. The review summarizes the alloy designs and processing routes of microstructure control, and the mechanical properties of the alloys.The stabilization of retained austenite in low alloy steels is especially emphasized. Multi-scale nano-precipitates, including carbides of microalloying elements and Cu-rich precipitates obtained in third-generation low alloy steels, are then introduced. The structure–property relationships of third-generation alloys are also discussed. Finally, the promises and challenges to future applications are explored.

Influence of chromium on the initial corrosion behavior of low alloy steels in the CO_2–O_2–H_2S–SO_2 wet–dry corrosion environment of cargo oil tankers

The influence of Cr on the initial corrosion behavior of low-alloy steels exposed to a CO2–O2–H2S–SO2 wet–dry corrosion environment was investigated using weight-loss measurements, scanning electron microscopy, N2 adsorption tests, X-ray diffraction analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the corrosion rate increases with increasing Cr content in samples subjected to corrosion for 21 d. However, the rust grain size decreases, its specific surface area increases, and it becomes more compact and denser with increasing Cr content, which indicates the enhanced protectivity of the rust. The results of charge transfer resistance(Rct) calculations indicate that higher Cr contents can accelerate the corrosion during the first 7 d and promote the formation of the enhanced protective inner rust after 14 d; the formed protective inner rust is responsible for the greater corrosion resistance during long-term exposure.

Abrasive Wear Characteristics of Carbon and Low Alloy Steels for Better Performance of Farm Implements

The low stress abrasion behaviours of heat treated mild, medium carbon and high C - low Cr steels, which are generally used in making farm implements, have been investigated. The simple heat treatment greatly improves the hardness, tensile strength and abrasion resistance of medium carbon and high C - low Cr steels. The results indicate that the material removal during abrasion is controlled by a number of factors, such as hardness, chemical composition, microstructure and heat treatment conditions. The conclusion is that the heat treated high C - low Cr steel and mild steel carburized by using coaltar pitch provide the best hardness and abrasion resistance and thus appear to be the most suitable materials for making agricultural tools.

Thermal Activation Analyses of Dynamic FractureToughness of High Strength Low Alloy Steels

A formula is derived for determining the influence of temperature and loading rate on dynamic fracture toughness of a high strength low alloy steel (HQ785C) from thermal activation analysis of the experimental results of three-point bend specimens as well as introducing an Arrhenius formula. It is shown that the results obtained by the given formula are in good agreement with the experimental ones in the thermal activation region. The present method is also valuable to describe the relationship between dynamic fracture toughness and temperature and loading rate of other high strength low alloy steels.

Carbon Equivalent Fundamentals in Evaluating the Weldability of Microalloy and Low Alloy Steels

Understanding the weldability of steel in relation to the use of carbon equivalent is very necessary for the welding industry. The study was poised to unearth the fundamentals of carbon equivalent as applied in evaluating the weldability of steel. The study used a two-stage design approach to address the problem of carbon equivalence weldability of steel, thus, survey and experimental. Two different steels were tested to ascertain their chemical composition which could inform carbon equivalent calculation, and the results revealed microalloy and low alloy steels respectively. In subjecting the microalloy steel to carbon equivalent analyses of the AWS and IIW coefficients;revealed a value (CEV) = 0.11 each, suggesting that this microalloy steel has excellent weldability;no preheating is required. A successful welding operation on this steel does not depend on preheating. Also, the average results of the low alloy steel revealed a value (CEV) = 0.37 and 0.32 respectively, suggesting that this type of steel has very good weldability and may require to preheat. It is recommended that welders have a general idea about the weldability of steel with regard to carbon equivalent calculation. In addition, they should understand the chemical compositions of steels they are dealing with.

Corrosion behavior of low alloy steels in a wet–dry acid humid environment

The corrosion behavior of corrosion resistant steel（CRS） in a simulated wet–dry acid humid environment was investigated and compared with carbon steel（CS） using corrosion loss, polarization curves, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, electron probe micro-analysis（EPMA）, N2 adsorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）. The results show that the corrosion kinetics of both steels were closely related to the composition and compactness of the rust, and the electrochemical properties of rusted steel. Small amounts of Cu, Cr, and Ni in CRS increased the amount of amorphous phases and decreased the content of γ-Fe OOH in the rust, resulting in higher compactness and electrochemical stability of the CRS rust. The elements Cu, Cr, and Ni were uniformly distributed in the CRS rust and formed CuFeO2, Cu2O, CrOOH, NiFe2O4, and Ni2O3, which enhanced the corrosion resistance of CRS in the wet–dry acid humid environment.

Research and Practice of Production Technology for High Performance Low Alloy Steels in WISCO

The product system of high strength low alloy steels (HSLA) produced by Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corporation (WISCO) was presented.A series of high performance structural steels have been developed for important construction projects around the world in different areas,such as bridge,pressure vessel,pipe line,shipbuilding,architecture,machinery and railway wagons.In order to promote the development of large heat input welding steel,high grade thick pipeline steel and long span bridge steel,a lot of advanced production technologies have been achieved through intensive investigation,such as the control of high purity,high homogenization and free defects in steel slabs,the rules of high melting point particle formation and distribution in micro and nano scale during steel production,and the TMCP technology for ultra low carbon bainite steel for medium and heavy plates.WISCO will carry on research and application of economic and weather-resistant steels and promote the developing and producing technologies of HSLA steel.

Fracture mode identification of low alloy steels and cast irons by electron back-scattered diffraction misorientation analysis

The fracture modes of low alloy steels and cast irons under tensile and fatigue conditions were identified by electron back-scattered diffraction（EBSD） misorientation analysis in this research. The curves of grain reference orientation deviation（GROD） distribution perpendicular to the fracture surface were obtained by EBSD observation, and the characteristics of each fracture mode were identified. The GROD value of the specimen fractured in tension decreases to a constant related to the elongation of corresponding specimen in the far field（farther than 5 mm away from the fracture surface）. The peak exhibits in GROD curves of two smooth specimens and a notched specimen near the fracture surface（within 5 mm away from the fracture surface）, and the formation mechanisms were discussed in detail based on the influences of specimen geometries（smooth or notched） and material toughness. The GROD value of fatigue fractured specimen is close to that at undeformed condition in the whole field, except the small area near the crack path. The loading conditions（constant stress amplitude loading or constant stress intensity factor range K loading） and the EBSD striation formation during fatigue crack propagation were also studied by EBSD observation parallel to the crack path.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-containing low alloy martensitic wear-resistant steel

Effects of quenching temperature and cooling conditions(water cooling and 10%NaCl cooling)on microstructure and mechanical properties of a 0.2%Ti low alloy martensitic wear-resistant steel used for die casting ejector plate were investigated.The results show that lath martensite can be obtained after austenitizing in the range of 860-980℃and then water cooling.With an increase in austenitizing temperature,the precipitate content gradually decreases.The precipitates are mainly composed of TiC and Ti4C2S2,and their total content is between 1.15wt.%and 1.64wt.%.The precipitate phase concentration by water-cooling is higher than that by10%NaCl cooling due to the lower cooling rate of water cooling.As the austeniting temperature increases,the hardness and tensile strength of both water cooled and 10%NaCl cooled steels firstly increase and then decrease.The experimental steel exhibits the best comprehensive mechanical properties after being austenitized at 900℃,cooled by 10%NaCl,and then tempered at 200℃.Its hardness,ultimate tensile strength,and wear rate reach551.4 HBW,1,438.2 MPa,and 0.48×10^(-2)mg·m^(-1),respectively.

Data mining to effect of key alloying elements on corrosion resistance of low alloy steels in Sanya seawater environmentAlloying Elements

In this paper,the relationship model between seawater environment,chemical composition and corrosion potential of low alloy steel is established and the distribution of corrosion potential of low alloy steel with changes in key alloying elements is excavated.The research was carried out with the following steps:Firstly,the relationship model between corrosion potential of low alloy steel and its influencing factors was established by data dimension reduction and artificial neural network(ANN).Secondly,key alloying elements of experimental steels were selected out by Pearson correlation analysis,then the corrosion resistance element model was visualized to show the effect of key alloying elements on corrosion potential of low alloy steel.Finally,corrosion potential of low alloy steel with the change of key alloying elements was classified and visualized by classification method.The mining results can reflect the validity of the proposed mining methods to a certain extent and provide an intuitive data basis for the development of high-quality and low-cost low alloy steels.

Influence of Ti on Weld Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in Large Heat Input Welding of High Strength Low Alloy Steels

The influence of Ti on weld microstructure and mechanical properties in large heat input welding of high strength low alloy steels is investigated. The results indicate that a moderate amount of Ti is still effective for grain refinement even under larger heat input and a large amount of acicular ferrite （AF） is formed in the weld metal when Ti content is within 0. 028%--0. 038%. With increasing Ti content, proeutectoid ferrite in the weld metal decreases, whereas bainite and M-A constituent increase. The type of inclusion in the welds varies from Mn-Si-AI-O to Ti-Mn- A1-O and finally to Ti-A1-O as Ti content increases from 0 up to 0. 064%. As for adding 0. 028%--0. 038% Ti, high weld toughness could be attained since most inclusions less than 2 tim which contain Ti20s provide the effective nu- clei for aeicular ferrite formation. However, the toughness of the weld metals severely reduces when Ti content is over the optimum ranRe of 0. 028%--0. 038%.

A Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of Plate Martensite Formation in High-carbon Low Alloy Steels

The martensitic microstructures in two high-carbon low alloy steels have been investigated by classical and automated crystallographic analysis under a transmission electron microscope. It is found that the martensitic substructure changes from consisting mostly of transformation twins for 1.20 mass% carbon （C） steel to both transformation twins and planar defects on {101}M for 1.67 mass% C steel. In the 1.67 mass% C steel it is further found that small martensite units have a rather homogeneous substructure, while large martensite units are more inhomogeneous. In addition, the martensite units in both steels are frequently found to be of zigzag patterns and have distinct crystallographic relationships with neighboring martensite units, e.g. kink or wedge couplings. Based on the present findings the development of martensite in high-carbon low alloy steels is discussed and a schematic of the martensite formation is presented. Moreover, whether the schematic view can be applied to plate martensite formation in general, is discussed.

Effect of Boron on CGHAZ Microstructure and Toughness of High Strength Low Alloy Steels

Effect of boron on the microstructure and impact toughness in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone（CGHAZ）of two high strength low alloy steels,boron-free and boron-containing,was investigated by means of weld thermal simulation test.The result shows that,for the boron-free steel,a microstructure consisting of grain boundary ferrite degenerates pearlite and granular bainite for longer t8/5（the cooling time from 800 to 500 ℃）,while lath bainite for shorter t8/5.For the boron-containing steel,granular bainite is dominant for a wide range of t8/5.Continuous cooling transformation（CCT）study on the CGHAZ indicates that the transformation start temperature decreases by about 50-100℃under different t8/5,for the boron-containing steel compared with the boron-free steel.The presence of boron suppresses the nucleation of ferrite at prior austenite grain boundaries and hence enlarges the range of t8/5for granular bainite transformation.However,the addition of boron deteriorates the impact toughness of CGHAZ,which may be due to a markedly increased fraction of martensite-austenite（M-A）constituents and decreased fraction of high angle grain boundaries.

PHASE TRANSFORMATION UNIT OF BAINITIC FERRITE AND ITS SURFACE RELIEF IN LOW AND MEDIUM CARBON ALLOY STEELS

The lath-or plate-shaped bainitic ferrite of low and medium carbon alloy steels consists of packets of ferrite sublaths which are composed of many finer and regular ferrite blocks.They are uniform shear growth units of bainitic phase transformation.No carbide is precipitated from them.The bainitic O-carbides are precipitated from γ-α interface or carbon-rich austenite.The mode of arrangement of the units in ferrite sublath packet is in uni-or bi-di- rection.Single surface relief is produced by the accumulation of uniform shear strains with all the ferrite units arranged unidirectionally in a sublath packet,while tent-shaped surface relief is formed by the integration of the uniform shear strains of two groups with ferrite units piling up in two directions and growing face to face;whereas if they grow back to back,the integra- tion will be responsible for invert-tent-shaped surface relief.The interface trace between two groups of ferrite units in a sublath packet is shown as“midrib”.

Data-mining and atmospheric corrosion resistance evaluation of Sn-and Sb-additional low alloy steel based on big data technology

Machine-learning and big data are among the latest approaches in corrosion research.The biggest challenge in corrosion research is to accurately predict how materials will degrade in a given environment.Corrosion big data is the application of mathematical methods to huge amounts of data to find correlations and infer probabilities.It is possible to use corrosion big data method to distinguish the influence of the minimal changes of alloying elements and small differences in microstructure on corrosion resistance of low alloy steels.In this research,corrosion big data evaluation methods and machine learning were used to study the effect of Sb and Sn,as well as environmental factors on the corrosion behavior of low alloy steels.Results depict corrosion big data method can accurately identify the influence of various factors on corrosion resistance of low alloy and is an effective and promising way in corrosion research.

EMBRITTLEMENT OF A Cr-Mo LOW-ALLOY STEEL DUE TO LOW-TEMPERATURE NEUTRON IRRADIATION

Embrittlement of a Cr-Mo2.25CrlMo steel stemming from neutron irradiation at 270℃ is studied by virtue of small punch testing in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy. The ductile-brittle transition temperature determined by the small punch test is much lower than that determined by the standard Charpy test. There is some irradiation-induced embrittlement effect after the steel is irradiated for 46 days with a neutron dose rate of 1.05×10^18dpa/s （displacement per atom per second）.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of high-strength low alloy steel by wire and arc additive manufacturing

A high-building multi-directional pipe joint(HBMDPJ)was fabricated by wire and arc additive manufacturing using high-strength low-alloy(HSLA)steel.The microstructure characteristics and transformation were observed and analyzed.The results show that the forming part includes four regions.The solidification zone solidifies as typical columnar crystals from a molten pool.The complete austenitizing zone forms from the solidification zone heated to a temperature greater than 1100℃,and the typical columnar crystals in this zone are difficult to observe.The partial austenitizing zone forms from the completely austenite zone heated between Ac1(austenite transition temperature)and1100℃,which is mainly equiaxed grains.After several thermal cycles,the partial austenitizing zone transforms to the tempering zone,which consistes of fully equiaxed grains.From the solidification zone to the tempering zone,the average grain size decreases from 75 to20μm.The mechanical properties of HBMDPJ satisfies the requirement for the intended application.

Influence of mill scale and rust layer on the corrosion resistance of low-alloy steel in simulated concrete pore solution

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic potentiodynamic polarization measurements, and scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to investigate the influence of mill scale and rust layer on the passivation capability and chloride-induced corrosion behaviors of conventional low-carbon（LC） steel and low-alloy（LA） steel in simulated concrete pore solution. The results show that mill scale exerts different influences on the corrosion resistance of both steels at various electrochemical stages. We propose that the high long-term corrosion resistance of LA steel is mainly achieved through the synergistic effect of a gradually formed compact, adherent and well-distributed Cr-enriched inner rust layer and the physical barrier protection effect of mill scale.

ISOCHRONOUS STRESS-STRAIN CURVES OF LOW ALLOY STEEL CROSS-WELD-SPECIMEN AT HIGH TEMPERATURE

In this work, a parametric approach is presented and utilized to determine the creep properties of weldments; then the model of creep strain for cross weld specimen is given. On the basis of the experimental results, attempt has been made to establish equations of the isochronous stress-strain for weld joint that can predict the function of loading and service time in use of the creep data of base metal and weld metal.

Characterization of Rust Layer Formed on Low Alloy Steel Exposed in Marine Atmosphere

The iron rust phases formed on low alloy steels containing different quantities of Cr element have been characterized using EPMA, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, optical microscopy etc. The ion selective properties of synthesized rust films with the same phase constituent as the atmospheric corrosion products were investigated using self-made apparatus. The results showed that corrosion loss of steels exposed in marine atmosphere decreased rapidly as the Cr content of the steel was increased. Cr-containing steels were covered by a uniform compacted rust layer composed of fine particles with an average diameter of several nanometers. Inner rust layer of Cr-containing steel (2 mass fraction) was composed of a-CrxFe1-xOOH, with Cr content of about 5 mass fraction. Such rust layer showed cation selective property, and could depress the penetration of Cl- to contact substrate steel directly.